scholarly journals Seagrass and Oyster Reef Restoration in Living Shorelines: Effects of Habitat Configuration on Invertebrate Community Assembly

Diversity ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 246
Author(s):  
Cassie M. Pinnell ◽  
Geana S. Ayala ◽  
Melissa V. Patten ◽  
Katharyn E. Boyer

Restoration projects provide a valuable opportunity to experimentally establish foundational habitats in different combinations to test relative effects on community assembly. We evaluated the development of macroinvertebrate communities in response to planting of eelgrass (Zostera marina) and construction of reefs intended to support the Olympia oyster (Ostrea lurida) in the San Francisco Estuary. Plots of each type, alone or interspersed, were established in 2012 in a pilot living shorelines project, and quarterly invertebrate monitoring was conducted for one year prior to restoration, and three years post-restoration using suction sampling and eelgrass shoot collection. Suction sampling revealed that within one year, oyster reefs supported unique invertebrate assemblages as compared to pre-restoration conditions and controls (unmanipulated mudflat). The eelgrass invertebrate assemblage also shifted, becoming intermediate between reefs and controls. Interspersing both types of habitat structure led eelgrass invertebrate communities to more closely resemble those of oyster reefs alone, though the eelgrass assemblage maintained some distinction (primarily by supporting gammarid and caprellid amphipods). Eelgrass shoot collection documented some additional taxa known to benefit eelgrass growth through consumption of epiphytic algae; however, even after three years, restored eelgrass did not establish an assemblage equivalent to natural beds, as the eelgrass sea hare (Phyllaplysia taylori) and eelgrass isopod (Pentidotea resecata) remained absent or very rare. We conclude that the restoration of two structurally complex habitat types within tens of meters maximized the variety of invertebrate assemblages supported, but that close interspersion dampened the separately contributed distinctiveness. In addition, management intervention may be needed to overcome the recruitment limitation of species with important roles in maintaining eelgrass habitat.

2020 ◽  
Vol 71 (7) ◽  
pp. 771 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. M. McLeod ◽  
L. Boström-Einarsson ◽  
C. Creighton ◽  
B. D'Anastasi ◽  
B. Diggles ◽  
...  

Estimates of the ecological and economic value of ecosystems can provide important information for the prioritisation of conservation and restoration actions. Oyster reefs that were once common in temperate coastal waters have now been largely degraded or lost. Oyster reefs provide a suite of ecological services, including habitat and a food supply for a range of other species. In Australia, there is growing interest in oyster reef restoration, but there are knowledge gaps with regard to their structure and habitat value. Here, we describe the structure of eight remnant Sydney rock oyster (Saccostrea glomerata) reefs and estimate the density, biomass, productivity and composition of mobile macroinvertebrate and infaunal communities associated with them. The oyster reefs had a distinct assemblage of macroinvertebrates, with fivefold higher density of larger (≥2mm) macroinvertebrates, fivefold higher biomass and almost fivefold higher productivity, than that of adjacent bare sediments. The productivity of infaunal communities was twice as high under oyster reefs than in adjacent bare sediments. Therefore, S. glomerata reef restoration is likely to provide important habitat for macroinvertebrate communities and boost local secondary production.


2008 ◽  
Vol 65 (5) ◽  
pp. 890-905 ◽  
Author(s):  
Beth Gilbert ◽  
Peter J Dillon ◽  
Keith M Somers ◽  
Ron A Reid ◽  
Lem Scott

We examined the effects of extreme drought events on benthic macroinvertebrate (BMI) community structure in six forested upland streams in south-central Ontario, Canada, during a 9-year period. Variation in the mean winter El Niño – Southern Oscillation Index was strongly correlated with drought conditions (zero flow days) in the study streams. Drought onset and duration varied among study streams and among years. Below-average precipitation coincided with the occurrence of drought, although it remains unclear if snowfall and rainfall contributed equally to the impact of decreased precipitation. Increased relative abundance of Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera (EPT) one year following drought and decreased relative abundance two years after drought indicated high resistance but poor resilience. In contrast, chironomids showed poor resistance and high resilience. Although these patterns were not consistent across all streams, temporal coherence among streams was found in percent EPT, percent chironomids, and percent dipterans, suggesting that drought acts as a disturbance mechanism that simplifies benthos community assemblages. Biocriteria developed from 22 nearby reference streams indicated that abnormal BMI communities occurred only after recurring episodes of drought, indicating that the effects of drought are cumulative. Headwater streams may prove to be sentinel ecosystems for monitoring the impacts of climate change.


2010 ◽  
Vol 66 (03) ◽  
pp. 311-330 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan Truitt

In 1519 Spanish conquistadors arrived on the shores of Mesoamerica under the leadership of Hernando Cortés. Following the defeat of Mexico-Tenochtidan, the Aztec capital, Cortés requested that members of the Franciscan order be sent from Spain to lead the conversion effort. In 1523 the first three Franciscans arrived, among them fray Pedro de Gante. One year later another 12 Franciscans made the journey. They established themselves in the southeastern portion of Mexico-Tenochtitlan, and under their direction Nahua laborers built the principal Franciscan religious compound, San Francisco, and the first indigenous chapel in New Spain, San Josef de los Naturales. Together this friary and chapel served as the main point of interaction for Franciscan conversion efforts within the altepetl, ethnic state, of Mexico-Tenochtidan. In the courtyard of San Francisco, next to the indigenous chapel, fray Pedro established an indigenous school aimed at the indoctrination of the Nahua peoples of Mexico-Tenochtitlan and other outlying altepetl. Although its students were primarily members of indigenous nobility, other promising Nahuas received an education there as well.


PeerJ ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. e6488
Author(s):  
Emma E. Johnson ◽  
Miles D. Medina ◽  
Ada C. Bersoza Hernandez ◽  
Gregory A. Kusel ◽  
Audrey N. Batzer ◽  
...  

Background Abundance of the commercially and ecologically important Eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica, has declined across the US Eastern and Gulf coasts in recent decades, spurring substantial efforts to restore oyster reefs. These efforts are widely constrained by the availability, cost, and suitability of substrates to support oyster settlement and reef establishment. In particular, oyster shell is often the preferred substrate but is relatively scarce and increasingly expensive. Thus, there is a need for alternative oyster restoration materials that are cost-effective, abundant, and durable. Methods We tested the viability of two low-cost substrates—concrete and recycled blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) traps—in facilitating oyster recovery in a replicated 22-month field experiment at historically productive but now degraded intertidal oyster grounds on northwestern Florida’s Nature Coast. Throughout the trial, we monitored areal oyster cover on each substrate; at the end of the trial, we measured the densities of oysters by size class (spat, juvenile, and market-size) and the biomass and volume of each reef. Results Oysters colonized the concrete structures more quickly than the crab traps, as evidenced by significantly higher oyster cover during the first year of the experiment. By the end of the experiment, the concrete structures hosted higher densities of spat and juveniles, while the density of market-size oysters was relatively low and similar between treatments. The open structure of the crab traps led to the development of larger-volume reefs, while oyster biomass per unit area was similar between treatments. In addition, substrates positioned at lower elevations (relative to mean sea level) supported higher oyster abundance, size, and biomass than those less frequently inundated at higher elevations. Discussion Together, these findings indicate that both concrete and crab traps are viable substrates for oyster reef restoration, especially when placed at lower intertidal elevations conducive to oyster settlement and reef development.


2010 ◽  
Vol 70 (4 suppl) ◽  
pp. 1207-1215 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Bieger ◽  
ABP Carvalho ◽  
MN Strieder ◽  
L. Maltchik ◽  
C Stenert

Macroinvertebrate communities are one of the most used groups in assessments of water quality, since they respond directly to the level of contamination of aquatic ecosystems. The main objective of this study was the assessment of the water quality of the Sinos River basin (Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil) through biotic indices based on the macroinvertebrate community ("Family Biotic Index - FBI", and "Biological Monitoring Working Party Score System - BMWP"). Three lower order streams (2nd order) were selected in each one of three main regions of the basin. In each stream, the samplings were performed in three reaches (upper, middle, and lower), totalling 27 reaches. Two samplings were carried in each reach over one year (winter and summer). A total of 6,847 macroinvertebrates distributed among 54 families were sampled. The streams from the upper region were of better water quality than the lower region. The water quality did not change between the upper, middle and lower reaches of the streams. However, the upper reaches of the streams were of better water quality in all the regions of the basin. The water quality of the streams did not vary between the summer and the winter. This result demonstrated that water quality may be analysed in both studied seasons (summer and winter) using biotic indices. The analysis of the results allows us to conclude that the biotic indices used reflected the changes related to the water quality along the longitudinal gradient of the basin. Thus, aquatic macroinvertebrates were important bioindicators of the water and environmental quality of the streams of the Sinos River basin.


PeerJ ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. e4433 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth A. Goergen ◽  
David S. Gilliam

Acropora cervicornis is the most widely used coral species for reef restoration in the greater Caribbean. However, outplanting methodologies (e.g., colony density, size, host genotype, and attachment technique) vary greatly, and to date have not been evaluated for optimality across multiple sites. Two experiments were completed during this study, the first evaluated the effects of attachment technique, colony size, and genotype by outplanting 405 A. cervicornis colonies, from ten genotypes, four size classes, and three attachment techniques (epoxy, nail and cable tie, or puck) across three sites. Colony survival, health condition, tissue productivity, and growth were assessed across one year for this experiment. The second experiment assessed the effect of colony density by outplanting colonies in plots of one, four, or 25 corals per 4 m2 across four separate sites. Plot survival and condition were evaluated across two years for this experiment in order to better capture the effect of increasing cover. Colonies attached with a nail and cable tie resulted in the highest survival regardless of colony size. Small corals had the lowest survival, but the greatest productivity. The majority of colony loss was attributed to missing colonies and was highest for pucks and small epoxied colonies. Disease and predation were observed at all sites, but did not affect all genotypes, however due to the overall low prevalence of either condition there were no significant differences found in any comparison. Low density plots had significantly higher survival and significantly lower prevalence of disease, predation, and missing colonies than high density plots. These results indicate that to increase initial outplant success, colonies of many genotypes should be outplanted to multiple sites using a nail and cable tie, in low densities, and with colonies over 15 cm total linear extension.


2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 49-52
Author(s):  
S. T. Muhammad ◽  
M. Abdurrahman ◽  
D. O. Avazi ◽  
B. Usman ◽  
E. G. Emmanuel ◽  
...  

A one-year-old male Terrier dog weighing 22 kg was presented to the Ahmadu Bello University Veterinary Teaching Hospital (ABUVTH), Zaria, Nigeria, with complaints of sloughing of the skin and purulent discharges from an injured (sloughed) shoulder. Clinical examination revealed normal vital parameters, extensive necrotized skin on the dorsum extending from loin to the right shoulder and enlarged superficial lymph nodes. Blood and wound swab samples were evaluated in the clinical haematology and Microbiology Laboratories of the ABUVTH, respectively. The Pathology result showed leucocytosis due to neutrophilia and monocytosis. Staphylococcus aureus was isolated from the wound swab. The wound was managed by wet-to-dry bandaging technique using topical antiseptics (Para-chloroaniline solution, chlorhexidine and povidone iodine), improvised non-adhesive protective membrane (polyethylene) applied at the wound-bandage interface, bandages along with adhesive tape and systemic antibiotics. Healing occurred uneventfully within 6 weeks of the intervention. The paper discusses the detail of the management initiated and how it greatly influenced the skin wound healing in dogs. In conclusion, proper initial assessment of wounds and appropriate treatment through rigorous wound assessment and bandaging are critical to success in the wound healing and restoration of tissue integrity. This management intervention could be further investigated in animals in order to improve the quality of cutaneous wounds management.


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